own upvi phrasalphrasal verb, intransitive: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning and not taking direct object--for example, "make up" [=reconcile]: "After they fought, they made up."

pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, pull yourself up by your bootstrapsv exprverbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end."